The pickle-pers

The pickle press has a long history in Japan, but for many Westerners it is still an unknown kitchen tool. However that is rapidly changing these days!

Now that the topic of fermentation is enjoying world-wide attention, and everywhere old knowledge is surfacing, pickle presses are increasingly put to use. Not at least because of natural foods expert, chef, and teacher Peter van Berckel’s enthusiasm for the tool.

He wrote the book titled ‘Tsukémono – fast Japanese vegetable fermentation’s’. This book discusses all aspects of this technique, and has more than 50 pickle press recipes. So for the book is only available in the Dutch language. Please inform Peter if you know a publisher who is interested in a English translation!

Even North European cultures used fermentation, with sauerkraut being the best know vegetable example. But sauerkraut is not that typically German or Dutch after all, it was discovered in China ages ago…

The western vegetable fermentations using salty, oxygen poor or anaerobic environment, submerged in a brine, take weeks to months.

The process transforms vegetable carbohydrates into lactic acids. We call this lactic acid fermentation, resulting in a refreshing flavour. The pickle press technique is different. It is a quick starting, short fermentation, which does not yet generate a sour taste.

Pickling using a press is like performing magic! Of course, it all starts with your choice of vegetable(s). Grab what you have got lying around, look in your vegetable garden, be inspired by the seasons; the choices are endless.

The pickling duration is determined by the desired texture and crispness. Is it soft and juicy or a firm or tough vegetable? Adjust the cutting technique accordingly. One can influence the time required to pickle and the bite by cutting the vegetable in thick chunks or wafer thin slices, or by using a spiralizer or grater. A pickle is a handy and sustainable way of using leftover vegetables. Fresh is always best of course, but a forgotten, wrinkled bell pepper can still be pickled!

Much used vegetables for pickling in Japan are: Chinese cabbage, onion, daikon, turnip, burdock root, ginger, cucumber and eggplant.

Many other (western) vegetables and fruits are also easily pickled such as: Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, gherkins, bitter gourd, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, celeriac, kohlrabi, mushrooms, bok choy, bell pepper, rhubarb, radishes, beetroot, savoy cabbage, salsify, pointed cabbage, Brussels sprouts, fennel, white chicory, white and red cabbage, carrot, yacon, samphire, firm apples and pears.

Make use of seasonal organic vegetables. These are tastier and have a higher dry matter content. Because they have not been in touch with pesticides, antibiotics, or genetically modified, they contain a higher microbe diversity, which will benefit the fermentation. Younger and fresher vegetables will, compared to older ones, result in a crispier pickle. Wash and dry your vegetables before use. Vegetables at room temperature produce better pickles than refrigerated ones.

Itadakimasu!

The food-grade and BPA-free plastic presses are available in different sizes varying from a half to five liters. The ones with screw Lids have the advantage that they are available in various sizes and that one can determine the amount of pressure one wishes to apply.

The larger sizes are used when cooking for large group and by professional chefs who want to serve tsukémono as a unique side dish in a restaurant, but they are also used as large fermentation barrels. The presses are made of plastic and practical to use and clean.

Tofu is always preserved in water. However, moist tofu does not absorb the flavour of herbs and marinades. No taste can come where water is present. That is why it is smart to squeeze moisture out of tofu before marinating it. The pickle press is just perfectly suited for this task.

The most suitable models are:

• The rectangular screw lid model Pickle Press Premium (S) 0.8L for a 250g block of tofu.
• For larger tofu blocks use the Pickle Press Premium (L) 3 liter.

PICKLE-PRES AS FERMENTATION BARREL
Especially the large sized pickle presses are not only used for making tsukémono but also for other fermentations such as sauerkraut and kimchi. These are fermentations that take at least a few days and are often made in larger quantities than tsukémono. In these processes it is essential that the vegetables ferment in a low-oxygen brine. This is easy to do with the screw lid, which also enables one to determine the amount of pressure one wishes to apply.

CHRUNCH AND TASTE
Pickling is a culinary enrichment: it creates a concentrated taste and vegetables become enormously crispy. That crunchiness is really unique to this process!

HEALTH BENEFITS
During the preliminary stage of the fermentation process beneficial bacteria grow and multiply and enzymes are created. This supports your digestive and immune systems.

EASE OF USE
One quickly becomes familiar with the simple technique that is very easy to integrate into your daily cooking routine. You place vegetables with some salt in the pickle press under considerable pressure for several hours. This creates a flying start to the fermentation process. Involve your children in this fun preparation process and you will end up with vegetable eaters!

“Fermentation is in my genes”, says Peter van Berckel, when asked where his passion for fermentation comes from. My forefathers brewed beer and distilled gin using fermentation. The van Berckel family was the owner of ‘The Crowned P’, in Delft since 1700. For 30 years I have been involved with natural foods as a consumer and food professional. I have always been interested in fermentation. I have been using current trendy products such as: sourdough bread, kombucha, kvass, kefir and tempeh, for decades. Products from the Japanese macrobiotic treasure box such as miso, shoyu and tamari, nato, Turin, umeboshi have also been part of my diet, and of course the pickle press.

I was not only interested in consuming these products, but also had the desire to understand their processes, and make them myself. In 2013 I came across a book by Sandor Katz titled ‘Wild Fermentation’. After that everything became a salty whirlwind: studying, experimentation, developing fermentation workshops, and teaching.

My interest in Japanese fermentation lead to the development of a tsukémono workshop. I was hugely attracted to the ease with which one can support one’s health with a very quick and accessible method that simultaneously produced tasty and crispy results. In turn, the workshop led to the writing of my book. I visited Japan where daily practices confirmed my knowledge. The Japanese serve a tsukémono pickle with every traditional meal.

Fermentation is an adventurous culinary journey of discovery. I keep observing positive effects on my health, digestion and vitality.